Mississippi River State Fish and Wildlife Area
Grafton, Illinois

A Guide to Area Attractions and Information

All phone numbers are area code 618, unless otherwise specified.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER FISH
AND WILDLIFE AREA

The Mississippi River Area is a composite of 14 wildlife management areas
and 11 access areas, scattered along 75 miles of the Mississippi and Illinois
rivers. These public lands which lie in Calhoun and Jersey Counties were
purchased in the 1930's by the Army Corps of Engineers. When Congress approved
the nine foot navigation channel for the Upper Mississippi River the Army
Corps of Engineers acquired these lands for construction of the present
day navigation system. The lock and dam system created a series of navigation
pools between the dams, the Mississippi River Area lands lie within navigation
pools 25 and 26.

Once the lock and dam system was constructed portions of these lands
were offered to the Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) to be managed for fish and wildlife purposes. Consequently the Fish
and Wildlife Service established a series of refuges along both the Illinois
and Mississippi Rivers. Then through a cooperative agreement with the
various states the FWS offered parcels of land for the states to manage
for fish, wildlife and recreational uses. Today the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources manages 24,000 acres of this government ground as
the Mississippi River Area (MRA) following are brief descriptions of the
various sites which make up the MRA.

Rip Rap Landing is the northern most management
area, located in pool 25 on the Mississippi between river miles 264 to 266.
This 1232 acre site contains 200 acres of water and over 850 acres of woodland,
the remaining acreage is made up of some active and some retired crop fields.
The 200 acres of water are represented by several ponds and sloughs with
120 acre Waverly Lake the largest water body on the site. A large portion
of the woodland acreage is a recognized State Natural Area offering an example
of the once abundant bottomland hardwood forest community along the river.
The site offers launching ramps for access to the Mississippi river and
Waverly lake, parking and toilet facilities. Rip Rap Landing has become
the home of an ever expanding population of river otters. Access to the
site is from RT. 96 approximately 2 miles north of the town of Mozier.
Reds Landing is located somewhat near
the center of pool 25 on the Mississippi River between river miles 252 and
256. The 1100 plus acre site has 180 acres in agricultural production with
over 250 acres of water and the remainder is woodland. The water acreage
is made up of backwater sloughs with tree lined banks. The largest water
body is known as middle and sand sloughs which contain over 125 contiguous
acres. Recently the only walk-in flooded green timber waterfowl hunting
area on the MRA was developed. There are over 300 acres of flooded ponds
and timber for the waterfowl hunter who does not require the comforts afforded
by hunting from a blind. There are launching facilities on both the river
and middle slough, also parking and toilet facilities. Reds Landing is home
to a large heron rookery, has an active Bald Eagles nest and on occasion
you can catch a glimpse of a Mississippi Kite. Entrance to the site is from
west county road approximately 4 miles south of the town of Hamburg.
Batchtown is at the south end of pool 25
on the Mississippi River, between and lock and dam 25 and river mile 246.
Batchtown is 2463 acres with almost 1800 acres of water and the rest is
woodland and wet meadow. This site is made up of a large backwater bay,
side channels and sloughs which are accessible from the main channel of
the river. The public can gain access to the area through Cockrell Hollow
located below the town of Batchtown were there is a boat launching facility.
Batchtown can be accessed from either west county road or east county highway
one to the Batchtown road. During spring and fall migrations you can expect
to see a myriad of bird species and in the winter large numbers of Bald
Eagles congregate below lock and dam 25. North of the State managed portion
of Batchtown is the Batchtown unit of the Mark Twain Federal Refuge, managed
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Calhoun Point lies at the confluence of
the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers across from the town of Grafton in Calhoun
County, the Point lies between river miles 219 and 223 on the Mississippi
and mile 2 and 4 on the Illinois.Calhoun Point totals 2215 acres, 322 water
and 1739 woodland with the remainder in agriculture. The water bodies are
a series of interconnected backwater lakes and sloughs which at one time
were open to the river. Boat access is available on Silver and Royal Lakes
and Polhman Slough, access to the Mississippi at Royal Landing is the only
public access below lock and dam 25. Calhoun Point lies next to the Brussels
unit of the Mark Twain Federal Refuge and offers three field pits for goose
hunting. The Point is home to the endangered salt meadow grass.
Piasa Island Wildlife Management Area lies
between river miles 208 and 211 on the Mississippi River, it consists of
two islands Piasa and Eagles Nest. The combined islands equal 400 acres
including the Piasa Creek Boat Access Area. This access area was completely
refurbished in 1992 and offers the only free public boat access between
Alton and Grafton. Piasa Creek Access Area lies along the Great River Road
and is a heavily utilized facility.
On the East bank of the Illinois River between river miles 7 and 13 lies
the 3580 acre Stump Lake Management Area.
At Stump Lake there are 1181 acres of water, 1986 acres of woodland and
400 plus acres of crop fields. The water acreage is made up of six different
bodies, Upper and Lower Stump, Flat, Long, Deep and Fowler lakes. Boat access
is available at Long Lake Access Area, Dabbs Road Access Area and on the
south end of Lower Stump at the Pere Marquette harbor. Illinois Rt. 100
forms the eastern boundary on much of Stump Lake. During the summer months
when upper and lower Stump Lakes are drawn down to promote the growth of
moist soil plants, these areas are very popular for bird watching. Large
numbers of Herons and Egrets concentrate on the shallow waters to take advantage
of the easy fish prey. The exposed mudflats attract flocks of shorebirds
and the adjacent bluffs are the winter home of many Bald Eagles.
Located north of the Stump Lake area on the same side of the river is the
Glades/12-mile Island Management Area.
The Glades is 1591 acres in size, it is located between river miles 12 and
15, the area has 1198 acres of woodland and over 300 acres of water. The
single water body is broken up with large clumps of buttonbush and a small
willow island. Boat access is available to both the Glades proper and the
Illinois River, vehicle access is from Route 100. 12-mile Island is located
west of the Glades in the Illinois River. The island is 223 acres with six
acres of managed water on the south half of the island and the rest is woodland.
On the West bank of the Illinois River between river miles 10 and 13 lies
Fuller Lake Management Area. Fuller Lakes
almost 1100 acres is made up of 560 acres woodland, 181 acres of agricultural
fields and 347 acres of water. The water acreage is contiguous with a few
peninsulas which break up the lake into three sections known as Fuller and
Upper Swan Lakes and Beaver Pond. Boat access is available at Fuller Lake
and also to the Illinois River at Hadley Landing which is located on the
road to Fuller Lake. The turn off to Fuller Lake is approximately six miles
south of the town of Hardin on East County Road. The Fuller Lake area is
on the north end of the Swan Lake which is part of the Mark Twain Federal
Refuge system. Fuller and Upper Swan Lakes also offer good shorebird concentrations
and in the Fall it is not unusual to see Bald Eagles perched in trees along
the access road where they can hunt for fish in the Illinois River.
Immediately North of Fuller Lake and Hadley Landing lies Helmbold
Slough, between river miles 13 and 16. Helmbold Slough contains
729 acres, of which 59 are water and 672 are woodland. There is no vehicular
access to the water at Helmbold except for a service road utilized by IDNR
staff. The 59 acres of water are managed as a seasonal wetland mainly utilized
for waterfowl hunting.
North of the town of Hardin is the Godar-Diamond complex
which consists of Diamond and Hurricane Islands, Michael Bottoms and the
Godar Refuge. Beginning at the south tip of Diamond Island is river mile
23 and at the north tip of Hurricane Island is river mile 29, the refuge
and Michael Bottoms are on the west bank of Dark Chute which separates the
islands from the shoreline. Hurricane Island is 397 acres, 58 water, 18
agricultural and 321 woodland. Diamond Island contains 657 acres, 292 water,
36 agricultural and 329 woodland. Michael offers 536 acres with 75 water,
90 in agriculture and 371 acres of woodland. There are 1027 acres in the
Godar refuge, 327 water, 201 in agriculture and 499 woodland acres, the
Godar area is managed as a waterfowl refuge. All of the water acreage in
this complex is "managed water", siltation has filled in these backwater
lakes to a point where the lakes are in a "perched condition. This is a
condition where the lake bottoms are higher then the river at normal low
flow. The areas are dewatered through gravity drains which allows moist
soil plants to germinate. These plants produce seed which are highly attractive
to waterfowl, then in early fall water is pumped into the areas providing
hundreds of acres of wetland habitat. The Godar-Diamond area is the most
popular waterfowl hunting area at the Mississippi River Area. There are
boat ramps at Godar-Diamond and Michael Landing Access Areas which provide
access to Dark Chute, there is also a ramp to access Michael Bottoms. The
Islands are accessible by boat pullovers located in Dark Chute. The entire
complex lies along State Route 100 from north of Hardin to the village of
Michael.
The rest of the Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Area is made up of islands
and riparian habitats along both the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. While
these areas are not actively managed they are available for public hunting.

The waterfowl hunting program is the most intensively managed activity
at the MRA. There are 360 blind sites allocated for a three year period,
five of the areas have check stations and the rest operate under statewide
regulations except closing times at Fuller Lake and Helmbold Slough coincide
with the check station areas. Batchtown, Stump Lake, Godar-Diamond, Calhoun
Point and Glades /12-mile are check station areas where hunting ends at
3:30 PM CST. Hunters at the check station areas have until one hour before
shooting time to claim their blind for the day. At one hour before shooting
time any blinds not claimed are available by a daily drawing. Locations
which do not have check stations blind builders must occupy their blind
by one-half hour before shooting time or the blind is available to anyone
by occupation.

Deer hunting is also popular in the acres
of bottomland forest along the rivers. All that is required is a county
permit and deer hunters must remain 200 yards from a duck blind. Spring turkey season is also available,
however, the entire Mississippi River Area is subject to annual spring
floods. The level and the duration of the floods dictate availability
of area and birds, typically when flooding occurs the turkeys leave the
bottoms for the hill ground.
Annually, sunflower and small grains are planted to attract doves. The
dove program allows hunting from noon
till 5 PM for the first five days after which you can hunt by statewide
hours. Beginning in 1998 steel shot will be required for dove hunting.All other hunting seasons are covered
by statewide regulations, any of these seasons which coincide with duck
season requires that the hunters remain 200 yards from the duck blinds.
The fact that the site is annually impacted by flooding prohibits the
development of large populations of upland species, however, hunting for
these species is allowed but usually not very productive.

DIRECTIONS TO MISSISSIPPI
RIVER AREA

From Chicago -- Take I-55 south and
proceed as if from Springfield
---OR---
Take I-57 south to I-72 in Champaign. Follow I-72 west to Springfield.
Proceed using directions from Springfield.

From Springfield - Follow I-55 south
to Route 16 at Litchfield. Take 16 west to Route 100, about 13 miles west
of Jerseyville. Turn left (south) and remain on Rte. 100 for about 5 miles.
Mississippi River Area Headquarters will be on your left hand side. Office
hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8am to 4pm and Tuesday and Thursday
when you can catch someone in.

From St. Louis - Cross the Mississippi
River on McKinley Bridge or the Popular Street Bridge. Take Route 3 north
to Alton. In Alton, exit to Route 143 (West). Stay on 143 until you pass
the Alton Belle Casino on your left. Then follow the signs for the Great
River Road (Route 100) to Pere Marquette State Park. Remain on the Great
River Road heading west/north for about 20 miles, passing through the
town of Grafton and past the Brussels Ferry, pass by Pere Marquette Lodge
for approximately 5 miles, (MRA) Headquarters will be on the right side
of the road.
---OR---
Take I-270 to 367 North and cross the Missouri River, then the Mississippi
River on the Clark Bridge. Turn left at the light, and go past the Alton
Belle Casino (on your left). Turn left onto Route 100, as above.

FERRY INFORMATION

Brussels Ferry - This is a free ferry
operated by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The ferry takes
cars across the Illinois River from Route 100 to Calhoun County. This
ferry is located about 4 miles southwest of Pere Marquette State Park,
and it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Golden Eagle Ferry - This ferry takes
vehicles across the Mississippi River between Calhoun County in Illinois
and St. Charles County in Missouri. The fee is $8.00 per car. To reach
the Golden Eagle from Pere Marquette State Park, take Route 100 southwest
and cross the Brussels Ferry. Follow that road through Deer Plain and
continue on until you see a sign pointing you toward the Golden Eagle
Ferry. You will turn left off the main road at this point. Continue on
until you see the ferry. Operates 5:30 A.M. to 8 P.M. Monday through Friday;
8 A.M. to 9 P.M. weekends and holidays.

Kampsville Ferry - About 25 miles north
of Pere Marquette State Park, the Kampsville Ferry takes passengers across
the Illinois River to Kampsville in Calhoun County. To reach this free
ferry from Pere Marquette State Park, take Route 100 north to Route 16.
Follow Route 16 to Eldred Road (also called Hill View Road), and into
Eldred. Turn left onto Route 108 in Eldred. It is about another 3 miles
to the ferry. Operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Winfield Ferry - Crosses the Mississippi
River into Missouri on Route 79. To reach the Winfield Ferry from Pere
Marquette State Park, cross the Brussels Ferry and follow signs leading
to Route 79 and Winfield, Missouri. This ferry is only open when the Golden Eagle Ferry is closed. Fee per car is $8.00. Ferry operates 5 A.M. to 9 P.M. April through October; 5 A.M.
to 8 P.M. November through March; 5 A.M. to 7 P.M. winter hours.

Approximately 230 species of birds have been identified within, at the
boundaries of, or flying over Pere Marquette State Park during the past
35 years. This information has been accumulated for all seasons of the
year by many observers. A checklist was prepared by Helen Wuestenfeld
in cooperation with the Division of Natural Heritage of the former Department
of Conservation (now Department of Natural Resources). A copy of this
checklist is available in the Park office or the Visitor Center. For further
information regarding the bird species found in this area, contact Ms.
Wuestenfeld at 498-5335.

Pere Marquette State Park also offers birders several optimal locations
for observing avian species. Stump Lake is one popular location. Other
suitable locations are found throughout the Park, especially the scenic
overlooks on the drive through the park, and the shelter at McAdams Peak.

BALD EAGLES

The Bald Eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, gets its name from the all
white, or 'bald', head of the adult bird. Adult eagles are recognized
by their white head and tail feathers, the remainder of the body feathers
being dark brown. Immature eagles have all brown feathers, which are molted
to reveal the white feathers characteristic of the adults at 4 to 5 years
of age. Wingspan of an adult eagle is 6 to 7 ½ feet!

Bald eagles breed primarily in the northern U.S. and parts of Canada,
Alaska, and Florida. In the winter, migrations find the birds throughout
the continental U.S., Alaska, and southern Canada. The eagles found in
this area primarily breed in the upper Great Lakes region, and begin arriving
here in November. Peak eagle viewing times at the Park are January and
February.

Bald eagle females lay 1 to 3 eggs in a very large nest. Eggs incubate
about 35 days before hatching. Adults pair for life, and use the same
nest annually. Bald eagles have eyesight 5 to 6 times sharper than humans.
They feed primarily on fish, which is why they are dependant on habitat
close to rivers and lakes and can frequently be found in areas where large
boats are moving about i.e. ferry landings

In Illinois, Bald Eagles are a threatened species as defined in the
Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act. The good news for the Eagles
is that both the federal and state listings of the species have been downgraded
from endangered to threatened.

Two birds that may be mistaken for a bald eagle are Turkey Vultures,
which migrate out of this area by December, and Golden Eagles, which are
a rare sight around here.

ORCHARDS / BERRIES

Approximate seasons (not all fruit available at all orchards - call for details):
Red Raspberries mid-June to early July
Blueberries late June to early July
Blackberries mid-July to mid-August
Peaches opens mid-August
Apples September and October
Pumpkins mid-October through November
Christmas trees mid-November through Christmas
Eckert's Orchard 786-3445
Plummer Berry Farm 786-2109
Joe Ringhausen Orchards 376-6772 or 498-6951
Tom Ringhausen Orchards 576-2311 or 576-9203
Uncle Andy's Produce Ranch 786-3305

ALTON BELLE CASINO

The Alton Belle Casino is a gaming riverboat on the Mississippi River.
The Alton Belle offers slots, video poker blackjack, roulette, and much
more. There is also an off-track betting parlor for both thoroughbred
and harness racing. The Alton Belle cruises seven days a week. The Alton
Landing serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For cruise times and more
information, call 1-800-336-7568.

Pere Marquette State Park
Pere Marquette Marina has three launching ramps available to the public,
when the area is not flooded. The boat docks will be installed before
Memorial Day weekend, if at all possible. Dredging was completed in the
Fall of 1996. Courtesy docks are available on a first-come, first-serve
basis. Boats may be docked for 14 days, but may not be left unattended
for more than 24 hours. No electricity is currently available to the docks.
Further details may be obtained by calling the Park Office at 786-3323.

"The Piasa bird is said to have flown over the "Great Father of Waters"
thousands of moons before the white man came, when magolonyn and mastodon
were still living." The Piasa, or Piusa, means "the bird that devours
men" or "bird of the evil spirit". Early drawings depict it as part bird,
reptile, mammal, and fish. The colors used in early paintings symbolize
war and vengeance (red), death and despair (black), and hope and triumph
over death (green).

The original Piasa bird was 40 to 50 feet high on the sandstone strata
of the limestone bluffs, incised into the rock and later painted. The
most enduring and fascinating legend was written by John Russell in 1836.
It begins:

Before the village of the Illini, the mighty river swept to the south,
clear and fresh. The surrounding woods were rich with game. The bluffs
and the mighty trees shielded the Illini from the harsh winds that sometimes
swept in from the north. Their village was a secure and happy place. Chief
of the Illini was Ouatoga (Watoga). He was old and had led his tribe in
the ways of peace for most of his lifetime. Ouatoga and his people loved
their home and their way of life. Then one morning, as the sun began to
climb towards the summit of its cloudless sky, terror touched the Illini.
The village stirred. A number of younger braves were leaving on an early
morning fishing expedition. Some were already on the river in their canoes,
others preparing to embark, when suddenly the very earth seemed to shudder
with the sound of an alien scream.

Out of the Western sky came a gigantic flying monster. Its body was
much the size and shape of a horse; long, white fangs stabbed upward
from the protruding lower jaw and flames leaped from its nostrils; two
white, deer-like horns angled wickedly from its head. Its huge wings
pounded the air with such force the trees bent; its stubby legs held
dagger-like talons and its spiked tail wound around the grotesque body
three times.

Almost before the braves realized their danger, the beast, soon to
be named the Piasa Bird, swooped across the beach and carried one away.
From that moment on, the Illini were terrorized by this incredible and
blood-thirsty monster. Each morning and afternoon thereafter, the Piasa
Bird came, shattering the peace of the village with its blood-chilling
screams and the thunderous beat of its wings. More often than not, it
returned to its lair with a victim.

The Illini looked to their chief, Ouatoga, for a solution to this
menace. Time and time again he had led them through the trials of famine,
illness, and the threat of warlike tribes. But Ouatoga felt helpless
before this danger and the years weighed heavily upon him. The beast
seemed invulnerable. His body was covered with scales, like a coat-of-mail.
The best efforts of Tera-hi-on-a-wa-ka, the arrow maker, and the tribe's
finest archers were to no avail.

Then Ouatoga appealed to the Great Spirit. For nearly a full moon
he prayed and fasted. Then in a dream he found the answer. The body
of the Piasa Bird was not protected under the wings. After offering
thanks to the Great Spirit, Ouatoga called the tribe together and devised
a plan that could destroy the Piasa Bird. All that day Tera-hi-on-a-wa-ka
sharpened arrowheads and painted them with poison while the tribe fasted
and prayed. That night, Ouatoga and six of the finest braves crept to
the top of the high bluff overlooking the Great Father of Waters. When
dawn came only Ouatoga was visible, standing straight and firm in full
view. The braves were hidden nearby behind a rock ledge, bows ready.

Suddenly, the scream of the Piasa Bird broke the silence and the winged
monster swept into view. Immediately it sighted Ouatoga and with what
seemed a shriek of delight, it pounced. As it did, Ouatoga fell to the
ground and grasped the strong roots that grew there. The pain of the
talons sinking into his flesh inspired him to grip the roots even more
tightly. As the Piasa Bird raised its great wings in an effort to carry
off its victim, the six braves stepped from their hiding place and shot
six poisoned arrows into the unprotected place beneath the beast's wings.
Again and again the bird raised its wings to fly. But Ouatoga held fast
and each time six poisoned arrows drove into the bird's vulnerable spot.
Finally, the poison did its job. With a scream of agony, the Piasa Bird
released its hold on Ouatoga and plunged down the bluff to disappear
forever in the swift waters of the great river.

Carefully, tenderly, the braves carried Ouatoga to his tepee where,
in time, he was nursed back to health. Then a great celebration was
held in the camp of the Illini. The next day, Tera-hi-on-a-wa-ka mixed
paints and, carrying them to the bluff, painted a picture of the Piasa
Bird in tribute to the victory of Ouatoga and the Illini. Every time
an Indian passed the painting, he shot an arrow in salute to the bravery
of Ouatoga and deliverance from the Piasa Bird.